George Johnstone Hope
Encyclopedia
Rear-Admiral Sir George Johnstone Hope, KCB
(6 July 1767 – 2 May 1818) was a British naval officer, who served with distinction in the Royal Navy
throughout the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
, including service at the Battle of Trafalgar
. A close personal friend of Admiral Nelson, he received many honours following the battle, and later served as a Lord of the Admiralty.
, and grandson of Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun
, Hope joined the navy at 15, in 1782, and spent much of his early career serving on frigate
s. He was promoted from midshipman
to lieutenant
on 29 February 1788 and was given command of his own sloop
, the HMS Racehorse
on 22 November 1790.
, Hope was serving as commander in the sloop HMS Bulldog in the Mediterranean Sea
, and conducted several convoys to the forces of Lord Hood
, who was besieging Toulon
at the time. Later in the year, on 13 September 1793, he was promoted to the rank of Post Captain, and given command of the large frigate HMS Romulus, in which he saw action against French ships off Genoa
in 1795.
Following his appointment to HMS Alcmene
, Hope joined Nelson
at Aboukir bay, 11 days after the battle of the Nile
. On the 19th August Nelson left for Naples but left Hood with three 3rd rates and three frigates, including Alcmene, with which to blockade Alexandria, where the remaining French ships; two of the line, eight frigates and four corvettes, were sheltering. Hope obtained Nelson's good graces by capturing the French gunbrig Légère off Egypt, and seizing dispatches intended for Napoleon. The papers had been thrown overboard by the French captain but two of Alcmene's crew jumped in to retrieve them. Hope then sailed to Naples
and successfully evacuated the Neapolitan royal family in the face of a Republican uprising
, which was eventually quelled by Nelson's personal intervention.
By 1801, Hope was an experienced Mediterranean campaigner, and, in command of the frigate HMS Leda
, supported the successful amphibious landings which began the British invasion of Egypt.
HMS Defence
. When Spain entered the war in December 1804, Defence became part of a newly formed 'Spanish Squadron' under Sir John Orde
. The squadron was involved in the blockade of Cadiz
when on the 8th April 1805, Villeneuve arrived with 11 ships of the line and 6 frigates. The 6 British ships formed line of battle
but the French refused to engage and allowed the squadron to retreat to Lagos Bay. Villenueve gathered the ships that were ready to sail and put to sea again. Orde believed they were bound for the Channel
but in fact Villenueve was on his way to the West Indies. Orde therefore took his squadron, including Defence, north to rendezvous with the Channel Fleet
.
Hope and his ship Defence stayed with the Channel fleet until the end of August then joined another squadron under Sir Robert Calder. This squadron was sent to Cadiz, arriving on the 15th September, to find Villenueve's fleet back from the West Indies and under blockade from a small contingent of vessels under the command of Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood. Nelson arrived on the 29th and moved the bulk of his force out to sea, in an attempt to lure out the combined French and Spanish fleet. When Villenueve eventually ordered his fleet to sail on the 19th October, Defence was one of the ships that passed the signal to Nelson.
On the morning of 21 October 1805, Hope found his ship at the rear of Admiral Collingwood's division at the start of the Battle of Trafalgar
. The position of his ship prevented Hope engaging with the enemy until the battle was two and a half hours old, but once within range, the Defence was heavily engaged, fighting with the French ship (formerly of the Royal Navy), and then the Spanish ship San Ildefenso
, whose surrender Hope received after some hours of battle.
Hope sensibly anchored both ships during the ensuing storm, and so his prize was one of only four captured ships to survive the following week of gales. It was Nelson's desire that the fleet anchor after the battle but his order was never passed on and Hope made the decision on his own initiative. During the action and storm, and despite being heavily engaged during the close of the battle; Hope's crew suffered casualties of just seven dead and twenty-nine injured.
After the storm, Collingwood, now in charge, selected Hope and four other captains to sink the remaining prizes to prevent their recapture. Evacuating the crews was "a particularly arduous task in a high sea running" that earned Hope a mention in dispatches.
. Under Sir James Saumarez, with his flag in the HMS Victory
, Hope helped to defend and maintain British trade interests in the Baltic Sea
. Hope remained Saumarez's chief of staff until 12 August 1811 when he was made Rear Admiral of the Blue through seniority and good service, and on 21 August 1812, was promoted to Rear Admiral of the White.
In June 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia and Hope was sent back to the Baltic to rescue as much of the Russian fleet
as could be saved from the French invasion
, and bring it to Britain. The plan was never fully enacted due to the defeat of Napoleon.
Hope was rewarded with a position as one of the Lords of the Admiralty, a post he retained for the next six years. His service ended abruptly, when he died suddenly whilst working late at the Admiralty
on the evening of 2 May 1818. He had served as a Member of Parliament
for East Grinstead
, Sussex
, from 1815 and on 2 January that year, had been inducted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
. He also received a sword of honour and gold medal in recognition of his service at Trafalgar. Hope was buried in Westminster Abbey
, where a large wall-mounted memorial remains to his memory, although his tombstone has been removed to make way for later burials.
. Lady Hope died in 1808 leaving her husband with two young children. Their son Sir James Hope (1808–81) also became a naval officer and rose to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet. Hope was remarried in 1814 to Georgina, daughter of the seventh Lord Kinnaird, who bore him a second daughter.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(6 July 1767 – 2 May 1818) was a British naval officer, who served with distinction in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
throughout the French Revolutionary
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, including service at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. A close personal friend of Admiral Nelson, he received many honours following the battle, and later served as a Lord of the Admiralty.
Early life
Born the son of The Hon. Charles Hope-WeirCharles Hope-Weir
The Hon. Charles Hope-Weir was a Scottish politician.Born The Hon. Charles Hope, he was the second son of Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun and Lady Henrietta Johnstone, daughter of William Johnstone, 1st Marquess of Annandale...
, and grandson of Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun
Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun
Charles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun KT was a Scottish nobleman.He was the son of John Hope of Hopetoun, grandson of Sir Thomas Hope, 1st Baronet of Craighall, Fife. John Hope purchased the barony of Niddry Castle from the Earl of Winton around 1680...
, Hope joined the navy at 15, in 1782, and spent much of his early career serving on frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s. He was promoted from midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 29 February 1788 and was given command of his own sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
, the HMS Racehorse
HMS Racehorse
Ten ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Racehorse:*HMS Racehorse was an 8-gun privateer captured from the French in 1757. She was on Arctic discovery in 1773. Captured by the American Andrea Doria in 1776 and destroyed by the Royal Navy in 1777 at Delaware Bay.*HMS Racehorse was a...
on 22 November 1790.
War service
At the time of Britain's entry into the war, as part of the First CoalitionFirst Coalition
The War of the First Coalition was the first major effort of multiple European monarchies to contain Revolutionary France. France declared war on the Habsburg monarchy of Austria on 20 April 1792, and the Kingdom of Prussia joined the Austrian side a few weeks later.These powers initiated a series...
, Hope was serving as commander in the sloop HMS Bulldog in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, and conducted several convoys to the forces of Lord Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
, who was besieging Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
at the time. Later in the year, on 13 September 1793, he was promoted to the rank of Post Captain, and given command of the large frigate HMS Romulus, in which he saw action against French ships off Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
in 1795.
Following his appointment to HMS Alcmene
HMS Alcmene
Three ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Alcmene. In Greek mythology, Alcmene or Alcmena was the mother of Heracles:...
, Hope joined Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
at Aboukir bay, 11 days after the battle of the Nile
Battle of the Nile
The Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
. On the 19th August Nelson left for Naples but left Hood with three 3rd rates and three frigates, including Alcmene, with which to blockade Alexandria, where the remaining French ships; two of the line, eight frigates and four corvettes, were sheltering. Hope obtained Nelson's good graces by capturing the French gunbrig Légère off Egypt, and seizing dispatches intended for Napoleon. The papers had been thrown overboard by the French captain but two of Alcmene's crew jumped in to retrieve them. Hope then sailed to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and successfully evacuated the Neapolitan royal family in the face of a Republican uprising
Parthenopaean Republic
The Parthenopean Republic was a French-supported republic in the territory of the Kingdom of Naples, formed during the French Revolutionary Wars after King Ferdinand IV fled before advancing French troops...
, which was eventually quelled by Nelson's personal intervention.
By 1801, Hope was an experienced Mediterranean campaigner, and, in command of the frigate HMS Leda
HMS Leda (1800)
HMS Leda, launched in 1800, was the lead ship of a successful class of forty-seven British Royal Navy 38-gun sailing frigates. Ledas design was based on the French frigate Hébé, which the British had captured in 1782. HMS Leda, launched in 1800, was the lead ship of a successful class of...
, supported the successful amphibious landings which began the British invasion of Egypt.
Battle of Trafalgar
Following the Peace of Amiens, Hope returned to sea aboard the 74-gun ship of the lineShip of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
HMS Defence
HMS Defence (1763)
HMS Defence was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 31 March 1763 at Plymouth Dockyard. She was one of the most famous ships of the period, taking part in several of the most important naval battles of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars...
. When Spain entered the war in December 1804, Defence became part of a newly formed 'Spanish Squadron' under Sir John Orde
Sir John Orde, 1st Baronet
Sir John Orde, 1st Baronet was the third son of John Orde, of Morpeth, Northumberland, and the brother of Thomas Orde-Powlett, 1st Baron Bolton...
. The squadron was involved in the blockade of Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
when on the 8th April 1805, Villeneuve arrived with 11 ships of the line and 6 frigates. The 6 British ships formed line of battle
Line of battle
In naval warfare, the line of battle is a tactic in which the ships of the fleet form a line end to end. A primitive form had been used by the Portuguese under Vasco Da Gama in 1502 near Malabar against a Muslim fleet.,Maarten Tromp used it in the Action of 18 September 1639 while its first use in...
but the French refused to engage and allowed the squadron to retreat to Lagos Bay. Villenueve gathered the ships that were ready to sail and put to sea again. Orde believed they were bound for the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
but in fact Villenueve was on his way to the West Indies. Orde therefore took his squadron, including Defence, north to rendezvous with the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
.
On the morning of 21 October 1805, Hope found his ship at the rear of Admiral Collingwood's division at the start of the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. The position of his ship prevented Hope engaging with the enemy until the battle was two and a half hours old, but once within range, the Defence was heavily engaged, fighting with the French ship (formerly of the Royal Navy), and then the Spanish ship San Ildefenso
Spanish ship San Ildefonso
San Ildefonso was a ship of the Spanish Navy launched in 1785. She was designed to be lighter than traditional Spanish vessels which had had difficulty matching the speed of ships of the Royal Navy. Though nominally a 74-gun ship the San Ildefonso actually carried 80 cannons and howitzers...
, whose surrender Hope received after some hours of battle.
Hope sensibly anchored both ships during the ensuing storm, and so his prize was one of only four captured ships to survive the following week of gales. It was Nelson's desire that the fleet anchor after the battle but his order was never passed on and Hope made the decision on his own initiative. During the action and storm, and despite being heavily engaged during the close of the battle; Hope's crew suffered casualties of just seven dead and twenty-nine injured.
After the storm, Collingwood, now in charge, selected Hope and four other captains to sink the remaining prizes to prevent their recapture. Evacuating the crews was "a particularly arduous task in a high sea running" that earned Hope a mention in dispatches.
Later years
Following his action at Trafalgar, Hope continued to serve in the Defence until 1809, when he was appointed Captain of the FleetCaptain of the fleet
In the Royal Navy of the 18th and 19th centuries a Captain of the Fleet could be appointed to assist an admiral when the admiral had ten or more ships to command....
. Under Sir James Saumarez, with his flag in the HMS Victory
HMS Victory
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805....
, Hope helped to defend and maintain British trade interests in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. Hope remained Saumarez's chief of staff until 12 August 1811 when he was made Rear Admiral of the Blue through seniority and good service, and on 21 August 1812, was promoted to Rear Admiral of the White.
In June 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia and Hope was sent back to the Baltic to rescue as much of the Russian fleet
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
as could be saved from the French invasion
French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia of 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe...
, and bring it to Britain. The plan was never fully enacted due to the defeat of Napoleon.
Hope was rewarded with a position as one of the Lords of the Admiralty, a post he retained for the next six years. His service ended abruptly, when he died suddenly whilst working late at the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
on the evening of 2 May 1818. He had served as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for East Grinstead
East Grinstead (UK Parliament constituency)
East Grinstead was a parliamentary constituency in the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. It first existed as a Parliamentary borough from 1307, returning two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons elected by the bloc vote system...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, from 1815 and on 2 January that year, had been inducted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. He also received a sword of honour and gold medal in recognition of his service at Trafalgar. Hope was buried in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, where a large wall-mounted memorial remains to his memory, although his tombstone has been removed to make way for later burials.
Family
George Johnstone Hope married his cousin, Lady Jemima Hope, the daughter of James Hope-Johnstone, 3rd Earl of HopetounJames Hope-Johnstone, 3rd Earl of Hopetoun
James Hope-Johnstone, 3rd Earl of Hopetoun , known as Viscount Aithrie from 1742 to 1781, was a Scottish Representative Peer....
. Lady Hope died in 1808 leaving her husband with two young children. Their son Sir James Hope (1808–81) also became a naval officer and rose to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet. Hope was remarried in 1814 to Georgina, daughter of the seventh Lord Kinnaird, who bore him a second daughter.
Further reading
- White, C. (2005). The Trafalgar captains: their lives and memorials. London: Chatham. ISBN 1-86176-247-X
External links
- George Johnstone Hope Biography from the Nelson Society
- Animation of the Battle of Trafalgar